On medication that makes it hard to loose weight?

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Replies

  • was on Abilify and fluoxetine, the last was supposed to lessen the appetite but all i did was gain weight and wail and wait, honestly i was even more depressed than before going on meds. all i did was eat and sleep because they made me feel so inadequate, miserable, lifeless, apathetic...

    Now i've stopped taking them and am self-medicating with endorphins!
  • LearnFromTheRed
    LearnFromTheRed Posts: 294 Member
    Prostap - massive water retention!!
  • Risperidone/seroquel made me gain alot, Now trying Abilify but I now cant sleep lol
  • The 40 pounds of the weight that I have to lose is from Seroquel. Ugh! I hated that stuff.
    I have been off of it for a few years and just can't get the weight off.
    I am currently on a combo of Wellbutrin/Buspar/Klonopin. However, I am in need of a change and see the doc Wednesday.
    I am so nervous about changing meds...it can be so unpleasant.
    I am going to research as many meds as I can bf I go to the doc. I do not want a med that causes me to gain weight.
    Feel free to add me.
  • Risperidone/seroquel made me gain alot, Now trying Abilify but I now cant sleep lol

    Yup. Seroquel made me gain weight but id prefer being able to sleep and working off the weight to not sleeping. Considering I've been known to stay up for a couple days because my body won't shut down I enjoy sleeping. I think I would be unhappy without that sleep. *****y manic horrible episodes are father apart. Moding my meds during that one cycle a month instead of cycling several times a mont is ok with me.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    I'm currently on lithium, Abilify, bupropion and alprazolam (xanax) - trying to ditch the alprazolam but it's a fricking nightmare. I have been on the gamut of psych meds over the last dozen years. Lithium is my current "gainer" but my biggest gainer was Flurazepam, a "dinosaur drug but we've tried everything else so we'll hope it works." (my pdoc said when she prescribed it, 7 years ago and I'm still over 200lb). It worked only OK - def. not worth the 106lbs that I put on in less than a year. Zyprexa I put on 30 in 3 weeks, Seroquel 15 in 6 months, Risperdal 0 but started lactating again :laugh:; Geodon and Abilify have been weight neutral for me so far. I didn't really gain on any of the SSRIs I tried either, thankfully. Anyone can add me if you'd like, it'd be nice to have a couple friends who know the MH "ropes."
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    If you are on a medication for which there is a viable substitute and if the weight gain makes you depressed, don't ever let a doctor make you feel vain or guilty about wanting to explore alternatives. They are supposed to be treating the whole person and in addition to obesity being unhealthy, extremely overweight and obese people experience bias and often have low self-esteem. There's an even greater animus against overweight women. You have a life outside of your doctor's examining room.
  • Lo65
    Lo65 Posts: 33
    Thanks to everyone who has replied and those who have become my friends! You all have made me feel not so alone. I am currently tapering off of Abilify,and Artane, and hopefully will be getting off of the Elavil soon, too. I decided to make a bid for freedom from the antidepressants that I have been on for so many years. However, I have fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and Ehlers-Danlos Type III (a collagen disorder which can cause pain), and still take Savella and clonazapam, as well as steroids for asthma. Between all those, I had gained over 100lbs. I lost 66lbs when my Psychiatrist lowered my Abilify for a while, and I had to start new eating habits because of a bladder condition (Interstitial Cystitis), but over the last 5 months I put 14 lbs back on. Now my new MD says it all has to go! I'm so glad for the help here!
  • Bfreka
    Bfreka Posts: 9
    Totally understand I went on Mirtazapine and 13KG later here I am!!!!!
  • kganc001
    kganc001 Posts: 317
    I'll send you a request! I was on SSRI's for a long time and only gained no matter how hard I tried. >.<
  • AttilaTheHorn
    AttilaTheHorn Posts: 6 Member
    I am actually a psychiatrist and would like to comment on every single person's entry here but there is just too much so I kept it simple...

    If you want to lose weight avoid Seroquel, Zyprexa, Clozaril, Depakote, and mirtazapine. ALL of those are notorious for makin people gain weight. Sometimes Clozaril is the only medication that is effective for what it treats and in that case you have no choice. But you do have alternatives to all those other medications. I would insist on it because few things are more detrimental to a person's mental health than making them gain a bunch of weight.
  • jbqueen
    jbqueen Posts: 89 Member
    Paxil CR was the best drug I've ever used, but I put on 40 pounds with it. Lost a bit when I switched to Lexapro but then stalled. I started on Wellbutrin and LOVED it, except that when I would get anxious, it would increase the anxiety. Also had to take meds to sleep, because it's very activating. But I actually lost 20 pounds on Wellbutrin. Now that I've been off it for more than a year, I've put it all back on; I have to work really hard to lose anything.

    As you can tell from all these posts, different meds affect people differently. If you're really unhappy with a side effect, talk with your doctor about your other options. Good luck!
  • balguy
    balguy Posts: 19 Member
    yes I am 30, on 7.5 mg of mirtazapine (helps me sleep), but I gained 35 lbs while working out daily. Thats why I signed up to this site bcs I love the med (compared to ambien or lunesta) but don't want to be fat.

    Which meds would you suggest I bring up to my doc?
  • balguy
    balguy Posts: 19 Member
    Hi, I am also on Mirtazapine. just signed up to this site, have you been able to loose weight while continuing on Mertazipine?
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    You might want to talk to your doctor about Welbutrin. I've been on it for months, and haven't had any weight-related side effects. Some people even lose weight while on Welbutrin.

    Definitely ask your doctor. When I switched from Remeron (TERRIBLE for weight gain) to Welbutrin, I dropped 50 pounds so fast I went to the doctor to see if I might have cancer or something.
  • phyllismuss
    phyllismuss Posts: 5 Member
    I have been contemplating switching from Cipralex to Wellbutrin. Only, you CANNOT drink alcohol on Wellbutrin, which I don't anymore anyway. Just an fyi. Alcohol plus wellbutrin can induce seizures. When I switched from Celexa to Cipralex, I put on 16 pounds within a year. Some of it diet related no doubt, but certainly not all as I am a pretty healthy eater most of the time.
  • LuvDarkChocolate
    LuvDarkChocolate Posts: 145 Member
    I take Celexa, which I read makes you gain weight.. I also have fibromyalgia.. With a lot of determination and eating right with exercise (walking) in one year I have lost over 33 lbs.. It was hard but it can be done :)

    I was on Celexa too....just got off that. It took 6 weeks for me to detox off that. (Horrible vision and vertigo side effects)
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    I'm on a few medications that are weight gainers xD and then i have a few medical problems that are supposed to make me lose weight easily so it balances some of it out? no i dont think so haha. I'm trying to push by it and do the best i can day by day. So far so good! add me and i'll be there for you as much as i can :)
  • Rhumax67
    Rhumax67 Posts: 162 Member
    Me too. I'm on prednisone & the blood thinner warfarin. I've gained 30 lbs on pred & since Jan have lost 11. Anyone please friend me !
  • balguy
    balguy Posts: 19 Member
    Does Welbutrin help with insomnia like remeron does?
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    I'm on several that often do cause problems, but I only notice a problem with two. One literally reduces my metabolism, because my heartrate gets too high to exercise safely without it. So that one stays, lol.

    The other just made me so hungry last time I was on it. This time I'm not noticing that, so fingers crossed. I know hunger doesn't sound like a big deal, but man this was ravenous and so soon after a good meal. I had to work so hard to keep it in check!

    Edit: the heartrate thing is because of a connective tissue disorder I have, not poor habits or health, btw. I have wonky vessels ;)
  • sisterphonetica
    sisterphonetica Posts: 59 Member
    I'm on mirtazapine for migraine prevention and have put on 13kg now. I disgust myself but I'm mostly migraine free. I am coming off it soon though so maybe weight loss will happen then.

    Wish me luck.
  • kellymac518
    kellymac518 Posts: 132 Member
    You might want to talk to your doctor about Welbutrin. I've been on it for months, and haven't had any weight-related side effects. Some people even lose weight while on Welbutrin.

    Welbutrin is not without side effects either, mine including racing heart, increased blood pressure and profound anger issues, even to the point of walking up to random people on the street and saying any mean thing I could come up with regarding their appearance....I even tried to punch random people in the face for fun. Stopped that medication cold turkey.

    Medications have different effect on different people. It is hard to tell what will work for you without giving it a shot and just seeing what happens. I've had a really good experience on a combo of saphris and wellbutrin for bipolar/depression. I have gained weight but that was because of my poor eating habits mixed with PCOS/insulin resistance, i don't think the meds had anything to do with it, as I had already been losing weight before and after i started taking the wellbutrin and started gaining weight before i switched from lamictol to saphris. Its my own fault really. but what these ladies prove is that it might work or it might not... but you should talk to your doctor about taking a medication that doesn't have side effects of weight gain... that is what i did and my doctors were happy to help me find a medication that fit my needs
  • anaisbutterfly7
    anaisbutterfly7 Posts: 71 Member
    I have gone through a lot of different meds. Right now I am on Latuda, and I have been having more good food days than bad! I think Latuda is good, but it's brand new (2 years old) and sooooooooo expensive. $130 dollars with insurance ($730 without).

    :(
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    I will start by begging everyone's pardon.

    I ended up finding a cause for most of my issues, poor breathing, joint pain, muscle stiffness, lethargy, bladder issues, fluid retention, weight gain and MOOD issues. Salicylate. It is the aspirin you take because you are in pain, the one which comes from willows, that one, the long time cure all and it is never seen as an issue by most doctors yet it is toxic for many, all of us have our own level of tolerance and mine is right down low. I found the better I ate the worse my symptoms. Salicylate is in many fresh fruits, veg, herbs and spices, teas and coffee, it is a nightmare. My toothpaste had me wide awake in seconds, mint/oil of wintergreen. Olive oil is high in it, Pineapple too. Low fat foods can be full of cornstarch which is moderate on the salicylate scale but it you are sensitive and trying to use low fat foods to loose weight you could be making yourself worse, the more you have the greater effect it can have on you. Vanilla too is said to be moderate too but as it is the flavour of choice it is in everything. Tomato purée and tinned tomato is the base of many meals high on the scale but the humble tomato is not too bad bless it. Other people will have different dominant triggers these are just mine.

    I am a very different person now, I have lost weight, mostly the pain is long gone, regained my equilibrium in all areas of my health but it is hard. I have gone on to react to perfumes though maybe I always did. It is only now that I am functioning more normally in every way I now react to smells in anything from plants to personal and domestic cleaning products. I have lost chronic pain/fatigue to have it replaced by chronic dramatic reactions to many smells. Travelling in a car for 10 minutes with someone with the wrong perfume makes me sleep for two or three hours. Its a real pain. I am hopeful of having help from the multidisciplinary immunology department at our local teaching hospital.

    Not everyone will be as compromised as myself but it could be worth reading up on Salicylate Sensitivity if only to reject it. I found it such a relief not to have to push myself to the limit for every movement, breath. My life is good.

    Thank you for reading this, please contact me if I can give you any assistance